Society

Ill Fares the Land: 8 key ideas

by Tony Judt

The core ideas of Ill Fares the Land, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Societies now prize private wealth

   Judt, a historian, argues that since the 1980s, Western societies have come to value private wealth over the public good.

   He believes this has made life more unequal and less secure.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   Social democracy once worked

   Judt describes how postwar welfare states in Europe and America provided security, healthcare and education.

   He argues they were real achievements. In his view, these systems gave ordinary families a steadier life than they had known before.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   Markets became worshipped

   Judt criticises the belief that markets solve every problem.

   He argues that this view weakened shared institutions. In his account, when everything is judged by profit, shared goals such as fairness and public service lose ground.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Inequality harms societies

   Judt argues that growing inequality damages trust, health and social cohesion.

   Unequal societies, in his view, function worse. In his view, wide gaps between the rich and the rest leave people with less in common.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Public goods were sold off

   Judt criticises privatisation of railways and public services.

   He argues that it often reduced quality while enriching a few. In his account, services run for profit can drop the less profitable users, which weakens the common good.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Trust has declined

   Judt argues that citizens trust each other and their governments less.

   Without trust, collective action is hard. In his view, a society where people doubt each other finds it harder to agree on common projects.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   People lost a shared purpose

   Judt argues that politics became about individual interests rather than common goals.

   In his account, when everyone pursues personal goals, the habit of working together for something larger fades. People then have fewer reasons to take part in public life.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   We must talk again

   Judt calls for young people to revive political conversation about what kind of society they want.

   In his view, a new generation must ask hard questions about fairness and the role of government.